2016 was a wonderful year for kids’ movies with perhaps a wide range never seen before, never enjoyed by children and parents alike. Let’s take a close look at all those delightful movies that amazed, thrilled and entertained kids through 2016.

Must Watch Movies for Kids: 2016

• The Angry Birds Movie

Kids laughed their way through this fun movie. Though it wasn’t the best film of the year, it had a great fan following. It was one of the many movies of 2016 to come out in a 3D version too, which only increased its appeal. What also attracted crowds of kids and parents to this movie was the soundtrack that had several performers like Blake Shelton, Imagine Dragons and Limp Bizkit, among others.

• Kung Fu Panda 3

This 3D American-Chinese movie was a beautifully computer-animated action comedy in the martial arts style. It did well, though not as well as The Angry Birds Movie. The movie featured one of this franchise’s top characters, Grandmaster Oogway, dubbed by Randall Duk Kim. It is the sequel to Kung Fu Panda 2. In this film, Po meets his real father Li Shan and fights an enemy from the world of spirits. Initially, Mr. Ping, Po’s adoptive father is understandably jealous but he comes round and supports Po on his journey with his real father. Dustin Hoffman, Jack Black, Angelina Jolie and others add comic strains to this film that kids loved.

• Storks

How do babies happen? This question that kids ask their parents is the basis of this film. In this film, storks don’t deliver babies to young parents, but they move on to deliver packages. So, what happens when they get an order for a baby? The best stork in this business scrambles to fix this problem by actually delivering the baby. Commendable performances all round made this a highly watchable movie with an unusual theme.

• The Secret Life Of Pets

Here’s a wonderfully different movie–both in theme and treatment. If you wonder what your pet does while you’re away all day, check out this one. It’s all about all that happens in the underground world of animals and is wonderfully hilarious. Children and adults enjoy the comedy and the amazing performances. It has been beautifully voiced by Kevin Hart, Eric Stonestreet, Albert Brooks and Lake Bell.

• The BFG

Based on novelist Roald Dahl’s classic books where kids get the better of adults, and there are larger than life characters and loads of magic, you can find all this and more in The BGF. In this film, Sophie is kidnapped by a kind and old giant, and when this happens, she thinks she’s meant for the stew pot. But, as luck would have it, she sets out on an adventure of fighting with large giants, dines with the English Queen with whom she combines to stop the giants. All this and more in this wonderful movie for kids.

• Sing

And what could be better than some singing and dancing to set the mood of a party? Particularly if it’s for kids, a Karaoke party sounds like a great idea. The plot of this film is about a group of animals who enter a singing competition, hosted by a koala who hopes to save his theatre. The film is peppered by over 60 classic songs sung by various famous singers and it also has an original song sung by Stevie Wonder and Ariana Grande.

• Trolls

Though this movie’s storyline has echoes of Smurf, yet it didn’t create the ripples that it hoped to. This musical comedy done in 3D computer animation offers its audiences a lot by way of comedy and songs, but what really stands out is its jaw-dropping animation. Its characters have been voiced by talents such as Russell Brand, Gwen Stefani and James Corden. It also won several nominations for awards.

• The Jungle Book

This classic by Rudyard Kipling has been remade by Walt Disney Pictures into a live-action film. The characters here are at their liveliest, best, with prominent actors dubbing for them, including Ben Kingsley, who voices Bagheera and Bill Murray for Baloo. Shere Khan’s character is dubbed by Idris Elba and Neel Sethi dubs for Mowgli.

• Finding Dory

Yet another 3D animated movie made in 2016, this one is a sequel to Finding Nemo. It’s about the fish Dory who wants to be reunited with her parents and sets out to find them. The entire movie is about her adventures on the way. This wonderful movie was the highest grossing movie in the animation sector. Stellar performances pepper this film, but the one that stole audience’s hearts was Ed O’Neill who played the octopus Hank. It also won two Teen Choice Awards.

• Pete’s Dragon

This is a film adaptation of the musical film, Pete’s Dragon, made in 1977. In 2016, this hit the screens in the genre of American fantasy comedy and drama adventure. The plot revolves around an orphaned and untamed boy who becomes friendly with a dragon.

• The Little Prince

The film version of the novel of the same name written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is faithful to the novel. It is the story of a pilot whose carrier crashes in the Sahara desert. Here, he meets a prince who lives on the asteroid, B-612. Currently on earth while travelling the universe, he meets adults and listens to their stories.

• Kubo And The Two Strings

Made in the genre of fantasy, action, stop motion and adventure, this film doesn’t disappoint audiences at all. It has amazing voicing done by a series of artists and brilliant settings. Its cast includes Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, Art Parkinson and Ralph Fiennes. The film brings with it a lot of newness in delivery and content and this shows up very well.

• Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

There’s a lot of violence and darkness in this movie, so it isn’t really a kids’ movie, but it is set in a world of magic, fantasy and quirky characters. There’s a lot audiences young and old can learn from this movie, though it isn’t preachy in its delivery or attitude.

• Moana

Perhaps the best of Disney’s princess movies, Moana is about a young woman by the same name, who is strong-willed and is chosen by the ocean to reunite a goddess with a mystical relic. When her island is struck by a blight, she sails in search of a demigod, Maui, to save her people. Audiences are taken on an imaginative journey which every child would want to join in too.

• Zootopia

This film in the 3D computer-animated comedy-adventure genre, won the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature. Its fantastic visuals and great theme song are things that went down very well with audiences. This is a great movie that everyone can enjoy, including children.

• Ratchet and Clank

This film is based on the video game series by the same name. In the genre of science fiction and action comedy, this one is a 3D computer-animated film. Its characters have been voices by Sylvester Stallone, James Arnold Taylor, John Goodman, David Kaye, Rosario Dawson, Paul Giamatti and Bella Thorne.

• Alice Through the Looking Glass

Based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice Through the Looking Glass, this is the story of Alice and her adventures after she returns to Wonderland to save the Mad Hatter. Many of her friends help her along the way.

• Ice Age: Collision Course

The cast of this adventure film includes Jennifer Lopez, Simon Pegg, Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Jessie J. Sid, Manny, Diego and Ellie form the driving force of this film as they adventure through exotic lands.

• Norm of the North

Polar bear Norm is sent out of his home and into the forests. Eventually, he finds himself in New York City, where he is the mascot of a company that is trying to make his home one for humans. To save his home, he sets out on a journey to save his friends.

• The Little Mermaid

This Hans Christian Anderson tale is brought to life in this evergreen family adventure. a must watch for all kids.

• Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiars

Based on Ransom Riggs, this is the story of Jacob, a teenager who takes clues to reach a magical island. He finds an abandoned school’s ruins for “peculiar children” and discovers that its earlier occupants might have had amazing powers and could well be living.